


your heart isn't there

by chinarai, crypticpanda, mahreemari



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: 2SpringIntoNu, Different AUs, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Spring Fever, Unrelated Works, daily updates, like two chapters are mature, nothing else, prompt dependent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-17 14:45:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18100589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chinarai/pseuds/chinarai, https://archiveofourown.org/users/crypticpanda/pseuds/crypticpanda, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahreemari/pseuds/mahreemari
Summary: 2D and Noodle embrace the new season of light and love in a fit of spring fever.





	1. you dream through the top

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1: Legendary  
> Written by: crypticpanda

She laughed as they ran barefoot through the ankle high grass, cicadas singing along with her, accompanying the sound of bells in the distance.

He twirled her around in the midst of tulips, daffodil and dandelion, watching her eyes widen in childlike wonder as drops of water and petals seemingly began floating in the air, time standing still as they continued their dance, the cold air and wet ground ignored in favour of their music without sound. 

He held her hands, both of their eyes reaching upwards into the sky as they slowly came to a stop.

“Don’t you see it?” he asked her, out of breath. 

He watched as the stars in her eyes were reflected in the sky. 

She was everything.

“See what?”

Her hair swayed in the wind; it began dancing, swirling. It became one with the universe around her.

The smile still on her face, so ever present when she was with him.

“We are the stuff of legends.”

With careful hands he placed the flower behind her ear, daring to caress her cheek as he watched her face fill with confusion, amusement and love alike. It was the same expression she would get whenever she found him muttering to himself and writing down his thoughts in the dead of night, whenever he said something way off topic and random to cheer her up, whenever he decided to do something just for the hell of it, whenever words and sentences left his mouth which even he didn’t know the meaning of. 

“You. You are the stuff of legends.”

Maybe he didn’t know what he was talking about. Maybe he had just the faintest of an idea. But what even is understanding, when he could look into her eyes instead and admit to himself that it was him and only him they were looking at. If he had the choice between being able to put all of this into words, all those impossible thoughts and emotions, to be able to create a vocabulary that could express everything he wanted to say and having her by his side even just for this one moment, he would choose the latter every single time. 

Her lips parted in thought.

“But I’m just me,” she whispered.

“Exactly,” he said as he leaned down, taking in the universe in her eyes, before closing his own. 


	2. you'll be over the edge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: White Day  
> Written by: mahreemari
> 
> Warning: borderline M.

It all starts with a single sweet, a little morsel of sugar, a bite of cocoa in a late night of mid-February that ends in March.

_[A truffle, warm from the heat of a palm. The demure cast of expression shrouded in the shadow, the moon allowing only rhinestone eyes to glitter.]_

2D turns in his bed, kicking off his comforter, heat clinging on his skin.

_[Candy lips like fruit ready to be bit into, a soft coo between pearl white teeth.]_

2D groaned, covering his face with his pillow, the silvery voice tickling his ears.

_[A soft press to his lips, sweet and melting, pliant when it meets his tongue, slipping in easily.]_

His heart burns in his chest, twisting and churning his gut into knots, his hands curl into fists as he grabs onto his hair, knuckles white from the strain.

_[Delicate fingers across his bottom lip, watching with darkened eyes, danced down to his chin and lay to rest on his shoulder, taking the ends of his hair in a coy twirl.]_

2D rolled out of his bed, his jaw clenched, abdomen flexing with heat. In the dark, he strode through his messy room, stepping on wrappers, used tissues, and dirty t-shirts, and slipped out. 

Quiet steps, his ears tense, catching the deep sound of Russel's snoring from down the hall. He stopped right from of her door, a sole rap, he could hear the muffled sound of her sheets moving, and then, with a bated breath, her feet touching the floor.

The door opened with a subtle creak, her small face popping out in a mess of wild strands and her eyes hooded with sleep.

"2D?"

He down at her, neck bent at an easy angle, catching her in the darkness. His hand reached out, sweeping across to settle on the slim nape of her neck. He could feel her breath, the girlish hitch when the pads of his hand touched her skin, sending a jolt down to his spine.

With a sudden strength, he crashed into her, lips coming down harsh, he listened to her gasp and seized the parting of her lips. It was a domination, the way his lips slanted over hers, his tongue tasting mint. 

He felt her hands wind up, circling around him. Moans spilling out like kitten cries, he pressed onward, backing them both into her room, he foot kicking the door close.

It didn't take long to drop her at the edge of her bed, the little table lamp lighting over them both. 2D huffed, breathing hard, watched her confused lust filling her eyes as she lay limp. He leaned over her, settling easily between her thighs, muscles rigid. 

Sneaking a hand onto her taunt stomach, he kissed her neck, laving over the spot. He trailed up to the soft swell of her cheek and over to the pink of her ear.

"It's all your fault."

"Huh-?"

He pressed onto her, lips sliding across hers, heat blistered, pressure gathering when he felt her move against him, her lithe hands fisting the loose material of his white tank, bringing him closer.

Her hip jerked, snapping to his, and he froze at the audible sound of her arousal. 2D broke away from her, a silver thread linking him to her still. 

He could barely breathe and he wondered if she could hear the constriction of his heart, the heady sensation ready to fall apart at her whim.

Quivering fingers cradled her apple-like cheeks as his forehead fell to hers, knocking gently, his eyes getting lost in the green of her eyes. The dim yellow glow showed him to her, deep and red and wanting.

_["Won't you be mine?"]_

"I'm yours."


	3. you'll be loving our love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: Flower Shop  
> Written by: chinarai

It’s a slow day. Again. All days are unbearably slow here, but there isn’t much to be done. Chin on his hand, Ace sighs and picks at the worn wood of the counter. The clock on the wall ticks loudly in the quiet room. Outside, potential customers pass without showing interest in the goods they have to offer, not stopping to spare a glance at the arrangements by the display window. 

Then again, he should know best than to let Murdoc be the one to put together the day’s bouquets. His cousin got an awful taste for flowers, and color combination is one of his poorest skills. His prime arrangement of the day was made out of the cheapest flowers, bent and mangled from his rough tending, a cluster of colors that wasn’t easy to the eyes. If left unattended, Murdoc would have charged a hundred pounds for it, when it’s barely worth ten. 

Not much he can do about it, though. After his pursuit for a successful actor career didn’t take off, Ace was lucky enough to be hired to work in his cousin’s failing flower shop. A cousin that had his own set of issues, like a promising career as bassist that crashed in the wake of scandals, a drinking problem, possibly some addiction for an illicit drug, and a big ego complex, which Ace has to put up with every day for the past year. 

Wouldn’t be so bad if Murdoc actually let him help. Ace is no expert, but babysitting the neighbor’s three pre-teen daughters a while back taught him a little about flowers, and he’d be better at that than manning the cash register. 

Ace bolts up straighter when the tiny bell above the door jingles to announce a customer. It’s the first time it happens in weeks, usually only chiming when he or Murdoc make their way in and out of the shop. If it weren’t for the button up blouse, pressed pants and blazer, he’d have thought she was just a teen. Small and lithe, a head full of windswept black hair.

She observes the horrid flower arrangements with a frown, then drifts towards the shelf full of potted succulents. He feels like crying out in victory when she brings one over to the counter. 

“Good afternoon,” she greets, opening her wallet to pay. He ties a little tag with the shop information around the clay pot, and exchanges it for the money.

“Thanks for the business,” he replies, waving a little too enthusiastically as she walks to the door. Success.

:

A few days later the bell chimes again. This time, Ace’s arrangements are on display where they belong, inside the rickety floral refrigerator, and not by the windows so they can wither under the  _ harsh _ British sun. Murdoc has never been to Arizona, it seems. Some sunlight friendly plants are shoved up by the display window, arranged as artistically as he could manage. 

Two men (possibly around thirty?) walk inside, and Ace has to do a double take, because one’s hair is a dark blue so vivid it’s impossible to ignore. He looks lost, wringing his hands anxiously, and his friend reassures him with a  _ this is the right place. _

“Can I help you?” He offers, and the one with blue hair gives him a - endless black, woah - relieved look. 

The other one takes the lead, only slightly smaller than his friend, but thrice as thick. “We were looking for a succulent, or a cactus. Anything really.”

“Not anything.” The first one pipes up, furrowing his brows at his friend. “Something pretty.” 

Picking a good succulent is not rocket science. Ace finally got around to reading the gardening books he purchases in some online sale, and he gives them one of the prettiest ones on display after tying the tag around the pot again.  _ So word will spread or somethin’ _ Murdoc had said. It’s a clever way of getting word around without relying on actual business cards. 

And out the door the duo goes, the one with blue hair cradling the tiny plant tenderly in his large, but skinny hands.

:

The girl - woman from that day comes back again. She’s recognizable due to her short stature and wild hair. Ace wonders in silence if she knows what a hair brush is.

“Excuse me.” She’s panting, cheeks flushed like she’s just ran a marathon to get here. Before he can even say anything, she’s by the counter, placing a succulent in plain view. His eyebrows inch higher up his forehead. “Can you tell me who bought this?” 

Ace gives her a mildly concerned look, but picks up the small clay pot and inspects it anyway. They don’t actually have as many customers as he’d like, though the number has increased slowly but surely since he was  _ kindly hired _ by Murdoc, and still his memory isn’t all that great. He remembers her because she looks like she’ll be forever stuck in high school until the first hints of crow’s feet show in the corner her eyes, and he remembers the old lady that came by that smelled like an old pot of oatmeal. But that was it. He doesn’t remember anyone-

_ Oh. _

The blue haired guy. He’d taken home this exact same succulent; or rather, not really taken it home it seems. A secret admirer, perhaps? “Well, Miss...?” 

She stares hard at him, then blurts out, “Noodle.”

He gives her the flattest stare he can manage - is this her poor attempt at hiding her identity? “I can’t tell you that.” 

“What? Why?”

“It’s not my place.” Ace sets the pot down and pushes it in her direction. She huffs and takes it back. 

“Of course it is, you  _ sold _ this.” She hisses, and yeah, she does look intimidating like this. Like she could break his neck with a single hit. She probably can, too.

“If he didn’t give this to you personally, then I can’t say anything.” He counters, crossing his arms for good measure. 

Noodle - seriously, what kind of name is that? - glares at him for a whole minute, fierce, and sighs when he doesn’t crack under pressure. “Thanks, I guess.” 

He waves his goodbye as she goes. This is going to be fun.

:

It doesn’t take long for the blue haired guy to show up with his friend. Ace had actually been expecting him to come, call it a hunch, and kept the best succulents and cacti hidden in the back room just for him. 

And whenever he leaves with one of the plants, the girl is sure to show up later with hopes that Ace will eventually slip up and tell her something substantial. He never does, and she gets frustrated by his silence, but he doesn’t relent. 

“It’s like a rom-com,” he tells her one day, cheek propped on his closed fist as he watches her tearing at her hair. It gets even messier, somehow. “You gotta find out who your secret admirer is on your own.” 

“Rom-coms suck,” she bites back, gripping the edge of the counter so hard he can imagine the wood splintering under her fingers. 

“Hey.” Ace frowns, offended. “Rom-coms are great, thank you.” He’s babysat the three girls enough to learn to enjoy them. 

Noodle lets out a long suffering groan, throws her head back and all. Dramatic. “Fine. How do I find out who is leaving all these plants on my work desk?” 

He shrugs. “Guess you’ll have to watch some rom-coms to figure it out.”

:

Once, the blue haired man comes alone.  _ Russ is sick _ , he tells Ace without prompting, and it’s nice to have a name to one of the familiar faces that regularly visit the shop. He’s never gotten around to asking any of them their names, sans Noodle, who might as well given him a poor fake name. 

“Came back for more gifts to give to your crush?” The guy’s face turns beet red, and Ace will get a good laugh out of this once he’s in his tiny apartment after his shift, but for now he just smiles like he knows something that this man doesn’t, which is true.  

Blue Haired Man stammers for some solid thirty seconds before he manages a coherent sentence. “Just - what have you got?” 

Ace walks him over to an orderly line of succulents he’d placed earlier on his counter. “How did you even find out she likes these?” 

“I - saw she had one of them on her desk in the office.” 

“Office, eh?” He watches as Black-eyed, Lanky Man leans down to squint at every tiny clay vase. “Where do you guys work?”

“We work in the fifth precinct.” Distantly, Ace wonders if any of them every encountered Murdoc and busted his ass for drugs and illegal activities. “I just help the boss, but she and Russel are amazing.”

Ace’s eyebrows rise up to his hairline. “So she’s a cop?”

Lovestruck With Missing Teeth Guy shrugs. “More of a detective really, but yeah. A cop.”

Ace couldn’t hold back his howl of laughter even if he tried. 

:

Next time Noodle shows up with a little cactus in her hand, Ace is leaning on the counter with the smuggest grin on his face. She halts midstep and eyes him warily before walking further into the shop with slower steps, sets down the plan on the counter in front of him. Hands on her hips, she quirks an eyebrow at him. It’s the first time he catches a glimpse of the gun holster strapped to her hip.

“Heeeey,” he coos and leans forward, both arms on the counter. “Couldn’t solve this mystery on your own, detective?”

“Shut up.” She grinds out, glaring at him. “Who told you that?”

“Nu-uh.” Ace wags his finger at her, lifts a brow. “That’s what you have to find out.” 

Noodle watches him in silence, once again hoping that he’s going to break, but he’s used to not giving in under the weight of glares and puppy eyes. His neighbor’s kids made sure of that. Eventually, her arms drop to her sides with a sigh, defeated.

“Let me tell you something.” He says, more serious now. She regards him with tired eyes. “I don’t know much about this guy. Seriously, I don’t even know his name, but I don’t think he’s subtle about it.” 

She gives him the flattest look she can muster. “About sneakingly dropping them off on my desk?”

“No.” Ace shakes his head. “Subtle about liking you.” 

Noodle blinks, interest piqued. 

“Here’s what I think I know about you,” he starts, straightening his dirty apron. “You’re a detective, likely a young one. Your coworkers probably like to poke fun at you for being small, so you best them everytime, solving the most cases and being an overall badass, karate chopping the bad guys and shit. You probably didn’t notice that your coworker has been trying to ask you out for months, because he was inviting you to happy hours and you shot down every invitation without thinking much of it. No time to hang out when you have to wake up early to show your coworkers who’s boss, right? But you began to notice someone likes you when these-” he points at the tiny cactus “-started showing up. And it bothers you because, as a detective, you should’ve noticed it before, but you didn’t because he wasn’t spelling it out.”

Noodle looks down at the countertop, deep in thought. By the look on her face, he probably hit the nail in the head. Bullseye and all that. “There’s that too.” She concedes, and he waits for her to continue. And waits, and waits. It takes a lot of tries and effort before she can go on. “But what if they’re making fun of me?”

Oh, so this is the real issue. “Trust me, he’s not.” She looks up at him again from beneath her lashes. Has never looked so vulnerable before. “He always leaves with a skip in his step and your gift gently held in his hands.” Big, skinny hands with long fingers, but he’s not going to tell her that. It’s weird that he noticed that in the first place. “He’s probably not asked you out on a date because he doesn’t think he has a chance, so he asked you to hang out as friends instead. And if I’m being honest, you probably know who it is, but since you were afraid that someone was pulling a prank on you, you didn’t confront him about it.”  

She chews on her bottom lip before asking, “It’s Stu, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know his name, remember?” It would make things easier if he knew. “All I know is he likes you a lot and is being genuine about it, and this is the way he found to show you how he feels. So figure out who it is and put him out of his misery, either by accepting to be his friend or more, or by turning him down. Preferably gently.”

With a resolute nod, Noodle collects her little cactus and leaves the store.

:

Ace is swiping the front of the store after a windy episode dragged a lot of dead leaves to their doorstep when I Most Likely Dye My Hair showed up again. He is dressed more casual, a bag of groceries in his arms, and smiles wide when he spots Ace, showing the gaps in his front teeth. Not for the first time, Ace wonders what car hit him.

“Morning, mate.” 

“Good morning to you.” Ace leans on the broom, uses the opportunity to rest his arms. “Here for more plants?”

“Maybe some other day.” He says, shuffling the bag around. “Afraid they might die in my care.” 

Hard to believe these plants won’t last a weekend in this guy’s house, but whatever. Murdoc is inside the store anyway, and Ace doesn’t want to make this guy have to interact with his bossy cousin. “I’ll keep some saved for you.” 

“Thanks.” I Have The Hots For Detective Noodle’s grin grows even more. “I think the gifts are finally working.”

“Yeah? Tell me about it.” Ace leans his chin onto the back of his hands as the guy shrugs. 

“She was - I didn’t think she liked them at first. She’d find them and glare around the office, y’know. Got me real scared. But Russ said she liked them.” He pauses, then shrugs. “Guess she does because she never threw them away. Anyway, she’s been more accepting of them. Doesn’t glare anymore.”

Ace feels a genuine smile curling his lips. “Really? That’s nice.”

“Yes, it is.” Serial Succulent Buyer agrees with a nod. “And I invited her to our happy hour last night with some folks from the precinct, and she said yes.” 

“I’m glad she accepted.” 

“She even sat by my side, and we talked a lot about horror movies.” He nearly drops his bag of groceries trying to tap his chin. Ace is glad this guy is just an assistant and not someone that’s allowed to carry a gun. “Do you think she knows it’s me that’s been giving her these gifts?”

Ace shrugs, faking stupidity. “Maybe? But since she’s been more receptive lately, perhaps you can ask her out on a date.” 

“I think you’re right.” Mr. Took You Long Enough frowns and nods quickly. “Yeah, I’ll ask her out the next time I see her.” 

Before Ace can reply, a crashing sound from within the shop startles them out of their skin. His companion does drop the grocery bag then, and Ace is quick to crouch down and help him pick it up. A loud curse comes from the door, which is yanked open, and Murdoc stands there in all his glory, him old apron the only thing covering his chest from the chilly wind. Red rimmed eyes zero on him; they haven’t been fine for a long time now.

“Ace, have you seen-” He stops, looks at the other man on the sidewalk. Ace watches from the first row as horror and realization dawn on Murdoc. 

“You!” 

“Hm?” Ace turns to Clumsy and Fidgety, finding the same expression mirrored on his face.

“What are you doing here?” Murdoc demands, though his anger is a bit lacking. There’s something beneath Ace can’t pinpoint. “I’ve paid all my hours. There’s nothing I can do anymore.”

Ace looks between the two of them, jogging his memory. He snaps his fingers. “Oh, I see. You’re the guy Murdoc ran over a decade ago, aren’t you?” Given the way Murdoc groans, Ace is right.

Man, he should really apply to be a detective.

:

Early on a Friday evening, Ace is preparing to lock up the store when Blue Dude shows up out of breath, red in the face, requesting his services. Who is Ace to deny this guy his help after everything he’s witnessed? He lets the man in and turns the sign on the door around so they won’t be disturbed (and so he won’t have to deal with other customers).

“What can I help you with?” He reties the apron behind his back and swipes his hair in a tiny ponytail at the back of his skull.

“I need a bouquet of flowers.”

“Finally asked her out, eh?” Ace teases, elbowing him gently on the ribs as he walks past towards the floral refrigerator. “Got any flowers in mind?”

“Not really. I just want something-”

“Beautiful, got it.” 

Guy Wanting To Impress His Date takes a sit on a high stool as Ace assembles the arrangement, mixing pink roses with lavender twigs and tiny white blooms, wrapping it all up nicely and tying it off with a pretty pink ribbon. The man’s eyes shine when they focus on the bouquet, and Ace sets it down gently on the counter in front of him.

“Want a card with that?” He’s already reaching for pen and paper before he can reply.

“Can you write it for me?” The assistant asks, fiddling with his thumbs. “My handwriting sucks.”

Ace nods, and prepares himself to write what can be the longest love letter in the century.

“Dear Noodle.” Ace chokes on his spit and waves off  his concern because  _ holy shit, _ her name really is Noodle. “You are the bravest woman I’ve ever met. You’re smart, funny, strong and beautiful. I’m so glad I get to work alongside you every day. Thank you for saying yes.” 

Ace admires his writing for a beat then asks, “And your name?”

“It’s Stu.” 

With a satisfied smile, Ace signs Stu’s name at the bottom of the card and sticks it among the flowers. “Have a nice date, Stu. Tell Noodle I said hi.” 

“Thanks, mate.” Stu gathers the arrangement in his arms and hops off the stool, ready to go. “Will do.”

Ace watches him leave for his date with Detective Noodle, biting back a chuckle when Stu pretty much dances away. Maybe Ace should become a date doctor like that movie,  _ Hitch _ . 


	4. so we'll never excite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: Pollen  
> Written by: chinarai, crypticpanda, and mahreemari

The morning sounded off with a sneeze. All of them were gathered in the dingy kitchen, sipping on coffee and tea and chewing the nearly burnt toast - no jam since they were all out.

The window was wide open to filter out the smoke from Murdoc's shitty attempt to cook some eggs.  
  
"I'm never cooking again," Murdoc mumbled to himself, pouring an indiscernible, possibly - or, most certainly - alcoholic liquid into his cup.  
  
Simultaneous grunts and hums answered back, all too tired to respond with actual words.  
  
Russel messed with the cupboard doors, looking around the stove-top cook cans of ready food. He pulled his face out, his deep voice raspy, "Should we call takeou-!"  
  
Russel's face scrunched, eyes squeezing close, mouth wide, spittle flying as he let out a giant sneeze.

The rest of the group startled at the sudden loud noise.  
  
2D blinked, a wry smile peeping from his sleepiness, "Looks like the pollen's out to get you Russ."

Russel frowned, swiping his nose with the back of his hand. He stepped away from the cupboard then, moving closer to the sink to wash his hands, only to be stopped by Murdoc whose leg stuck out.

“Now you back the fuck up,” he growled, “I'm not getting not going to get-

_ACHOO!!_

Goddamn it, look at what you've done!”

Snot began to trickle down Murdoc's pudgy nose before he sniffed hard, forcefully bringing it back up.

“It's just some pollen Muds, it'll go away tomorrow,” 2D laughed before bolting out the room, an empty bottle flying after him.

The morning slipped into afternoon within the blink of an eye, the deep bellowing sneezes from Russel mixed with Murdoc's curse-filled ones.

2D sat in the living room, the sound of the television in front of him drowned out by a series of short sneezes, tissues rolled into makeshift nose plugs falling into his lap in a messy ooze. It was disgusting. He pulled the fleece blanket around his shoulders a bit tighter, his blank eyes blurry as he shivered from the cold.

Next to him, Noodle shook her head, clicking the power button on the remote to shut off the TV screen, as neither of them were really paying any attention.

“You know,” she said, reaching over to help him up, “I think you should actually lie down in bed. You sound really ill.”

He allowed her to lead him up the stairs into his room, “It’s just allergies Noods.”

She quirked a fine brow, “That’s what you said earlier and look at what happend to you. You, Murdoc, and Russel never listen to me when I tell you to take those allergy pills.”

Noodle kicked aside the trash littering the floor and sat the man down on his bed. With her arms crossed she watched as he slowly rolled over and turned into an oversized blanket burrito.

With a sigh she turned to exit the room, leaving him in his misery when 2D’s wobbly voice rang out pitifully, “Wait, don’t go yet.”

She gave him a soft smile. Giving in to his whim seemed natural to her, so she stepped back towards him, resting on the edge of his bed, watching with amusement as he wriggled like a caterpillar to give her ample space. Noodle stoked the blue hairs that had escaped from the blanket’s grasp.

“Now don’t you look snug?”

“How about you stay?”

Her smile grew wider, “And get sick from you?”

His eyes curled, the faint crows feet winking along, “Just a nap.”

Noodle smirked, a wicked gleam shining, “I got a better idea,” she leaned over him and...

“Achoo!”

The following silence stretched for a few seconds, 2D and Noodle staring into each others wide opened eyes, before 2D pulled one of his hands out of his cocoon to wipe his girlfriend’s snot of his face.

“So. Wanna join me?”

And that’s how they both ended up as one large blanket burrito. The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OUTTAKES:  
> M: With a sigh she turned to exit the room, leaving him in his misery when 2D’s wobbly voice rang out pitifully, “Wait, don’t go yet. I don’t feel so good Mr. Noodle.”  
> P: LEAVE IT. I DARE YOU TO ELAVE IT
> 
> P: burrito 2d?  
> M: Hell ye, add on buddy if oyu want roll him up like white americans do to weed


	5. everybody making a sound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: Saint Patrick's Day  
> Written by: mahreemari
> 
> Part two of chapter 2.
> 
> Warning: rated M.

Noodle sat up top the the bar stool, her arm leaning against the marble top bar table. An off mix of smooth jazz and bagpipes played from the surrounding sound system. Noodle looked around the room, a sea of green moving and swaying, the stench of various boozes and alcohol covering in a dense fog.

Ace had invited them, as he had been doing since he departed from their band, to a party in the United States. St. Patrick’s Day, he had told them, a gathering of green and beer and other things he forgot that were probably more important than the first two things. 

“Come in wearing something green or else,” Ace warned them, a case of Guinness tucked carefully under his arm, handing them their invites as he swung by their hotel flat.

“What happens if you don’t wear green?” 2D had asked, opening the little envelope that held his ticket. 

“You’ll get pinched,” she murmured then, hiding the frown that threatened to show when 2D refused to meet her gaze.

He had been avoiding her since the night two days before, she remembered the way he kissed her, their breaths meshing, heat pooling with want, his sudden kiss surprising her delightfully.

She took a sip of a bright green shot, Noodle remembered his kiss, but she also remembered the way he ran away without letting her utter a single word and now here they were.

“Hey Noodle!” 

She looked back, a green clawed hand waving for her, soon earthing out to be Murdoc as he elbowed other party goers out of the way. Slung around his arm, 2D stood unmovingly, his mouth open in his sleep.

She knocked back the rest of her shot before coming up to the bassist, “What happened to him?”

“Some crazy bitch came, knocked his head and stole his shirt. Russel said it wasn’t bad but to take him back to the room anyway but I got girls to meet. You weren’t doing anything so you take him.”

With that, Murdoc shoved the singer into her arms and melted back into the crowd of green like sea foam.

-

Noodle dragged his tired body to his hotel bed, a helpless grunt of exasperation huffing out when she trips over his suitcase, falling over him on the modestly sized mattress.

She looked at him, his sleeping form shirtless, thought swirling in her mind as a naughty laugh trickled out of her.

Ace warned them the wear green.

It was time for punishment.

-

Noodle licked her teeth, her pink tongue sweeping hungrily, she leaned down over him, resting over his abdomen, thighs holding him in place. Her eyes traced over him, eyeing the fine lines of his skin and the thick blue of his hair. With a creeping hand, she trailed over his cheek, thumb pressing down on his soft bottom lip and taking in a slow breath when he leaned into her palm.

Heat guzzled down her spine as her fingers drew into his mouth, slipping past his teeth and stroked the tip of his tongue, a grin ripping when it tangled between her fingers, the collecting drool dripping from the corners of his lips and down the slant of his jaw. 

Her other hand lifted from her side and trailed up his flat stomach, resting on the lovable blush tips on his chest. With a gentle palm, she stroked the sensitive nib, a purr escaping her lips as she felt it stiffen. Bringing the tip between her fingers, she gave a light pinch, squeezing harder when he lets out a moan, his shoulders jolting under her touch.

Noodle moved her hand out of his mouth, the wet digits giving the neglected nub some attention, her ministrations causing it to glisten from his saliva. She palmed his nipples with her hands, warmth reddening the skin around as she massaged them. More moans whimpered out between his kissable lips, her mouth watered, wanting to taste his red fruits.

Hot breath hit his cheek as she hovered closer, her hands pausing, suppressing the tingle between her thighs as she moved forward, kissing his cheek, slowly making her way to his mouth. She pecked him patiently, tongue licking and sucking his bottom lip until he let her in, a pleased hum when his tongue touched hers, wrapping so sweetly - but, she wanted more.

She ran her hands over his nipples, pressing down harsh, she swallowed his protest, battling his tongue and rolled his tips between her fingers, legs locking down to keep his jolting hips in place. Relenting the hold she had on his lips, she kissed his chin, licking her way down to the crook of his collarbone, white teeth nibbling over a growing red spot. Noodle kissed his wet skin, blowing gently before biting down until he cried out, and she watched with hooded eyes, the way his dark eyes popped open. She let out a mewl, her hips twitching, his body meeting hers with a strong thrust.

“Wha-?” 2D whimpered, his hands fisting the sheets, “Noodle?”

Noodle looked up at him, delighted at the blush that colored his face and the nervous way he squirmed beneath her.

“Shhh,” she hushed him, drawing his attention by catching his lips once more, coaxing him in a sweet motion until she no longer had to lead him into their kissing. 

Feeling her pull away, 2D shivered, groaning as she kissed his chest, her lips airy, ticklish like a feather, until her tongue flicked out, shocking him. She gazed at him with dilated eyes, taking the hardened bud into her hot little mouth, circling around with firm strokes, and suckling him.

“Ngh…”

“That’s it 2D,” she smiled, reaching to the other, her manicured nails teasing, “How sweet you are.”

His hips flexed, straining to release some of the pressure that had built up, the front of his pants dampening from his leaking arousal.

“N-Noodle,” he panted, his chest searing, his eyes filling with hazy tears, “Please…”

She quieted him again with a demanding kiss, her lips hard against his, soft and wet and warm, obscene sounds emitting, a burn twisting in his belly when she pulled away once again, her hair in a mess, and her eyes deep, ready to devour him. 

“So cute,” she smirked, setting over him, rocking encouragingly against his bulge, setting a growing motion, “So responsive to me.”

Noodle ground tight against him, swaying her hips, a pleased coo shaking out of her plush lips as she spied the pleasure clouding his eyes, the uncontrollable quivering of his thrusts riding rough against her clothed heat, his back arching as he let out a loud keen, spilling into his trousers in a high.

She wrapped her hand around one of his, bringing the palm to her lips, she kissed his fingers, teeth pressing on a bony knuckle, “Didn’t you say it before?”

Her other hand tugged on the waistband of his pants, a pleasured moan sobbing out from his ragged breath as his sensitive flesh excited once more, pushing into her every move.

2D watched her candy lips spread into a predatory smile, pressing down on him, whispering into his ear, her voice coy and saccharine as it occupied the space in his head like a mantra. 

“You’re mine.”


	6. but you don't know why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Underground  
> Written by: crypticpanda

„Two, Fifteen! Line up. Get your weapons. You are supposed to be out of here by 0500. MOVE!”

Blearily and still drunk with sleep 2D moved forward, away from the group gathered around him.

Russel stood in his usual place, behind the patchwork, bullet hole-riddled counter, yelling out orders and shoving rifles and ammo into the hands the poor fucks standing in line.

“Don’t you dare bring back broken guns again Thirteen or I’ll feed you to the vultures,” he was hissing at his current customer, his fist tightly clenched in the poor lad’s shirt, almost lifting him up from the floor.

Pale eyes were directed onto 2D as he came to a stop next to the two, unsure if he should intervene or not.

Trembling under the blind mans gaze he took a step towards him.

“Heya Russ. Just standing here. Picking up. My. Stuff?”

2D relaxed as the smaller guy was able to get out of Russel’s grasp and shuffled away, not bothering to look back.

Russel just scoffed and turned around to rummage in the weapon racks. His hands almost immediately found the barrel of 2D’s usual shotgun.

“So, Fifteen, huh? What happened to Eight?”

“Mudz? Started a fight with someone and was thrown in solitary. ‘aven’t seen him since.”

2D glanced at the crowd in the dark hallway. Not even an hour ago he received the message that he had been assigned a new partner. A trainee. Fifteen?

“Do you know Fifteen? Wha’s he like?”

“Her. Tiny but deadly little thing. She from sector B3.”

“Huh.”

He stood there idly, waiting for Russ to fish out the rest of his stuff for him, when he felt the force of a truck hit him from behind.

This was it.

His last breath.

“Oh gosh I’m so sorry!”

2D could only groan in response as he heaved himself up from the ground, black spots dancing in his vision. A small hand grabbed onto his arm, trying to hold him steady.

“Aaahhh I’m already late and now this, I’m so so sorry,” the voice complained before shrieking.

Confused he looked down into the round face of a young woman. Short and unruly black hair was framing her face, her eyes wide open and her mouth… opened in horror?

“YOUR EYES! Did I do that?! Are you alright? Can you see?”

She kept apologizing and waved her hand in front of his eyes, desperately trying to get a reaction out of him. Dazed, he followed the hand for a moment before shaking his head and stammering out an incoherent sentence. Everything to make her stop.

She grabbed his face.

“Are you alright?”

Her onyx eyes shone in the dim light of the tunnel, full of worry and concern. He swore he could see his own reflection, they were that clear and untainted.

“I… I’m okay.”

She sighed in relief.

“But. Your eyes?”

“Umm.”

“Don’t worry about that idiot. He had way worse,” Russel grunted from his seat, making the two soldiers jump apart, only now noticing how their faces had almost been touching. “Got hit by a cruiser few years ago. One week later? Crashed the very same cruiser and flew through the windshield. If you’re trying to kill him, you gotta try harder than that. Guy’s a cockroach.”

The woman just blankly stared at the large man for a second before awkwardly clearing her throat and straightening her back.

“Well. Anyway, I’m searching for Two. Can you two tell me where to find him? It’s my first day here and I’m already late. He should be around here somewhere.”

Russel just grunted and continued working on the stack off weapons in front of him.

2D blinked.

“Wait. You’re Fifteen?”

She looked at him surprised. Slowly a gleeful grin emerged from her face and she saluted.

“That would be me, sir. I’m assuming you’re Two?”

“Yea.”

He took a moment to look his new partner over. She was dressed in the standard issued outfit. Beige jumpsuit with sturdy boots and gloves. What he didn’t recognize were the pink and blue lensed goggles hanging from her neck. Weird.

Like Russel said.

She was tiny.

 _Tiny_ tiny.

“How old are you again?”

“28, sir.”

Tiny.

 

He sighed.

Not that he’d ever admit it out loud, but… he missed Mudz. He was an asshole. But he was an asshole he had worked with for years. He didn’t know how to deal with anyone else. Stupid Mudz. Just had to go and get himself thrown into the hole. He hated Mudz. He really did. That was the one constant he could rely on. The one thing he knew would stay the same. Now he had nothing. Nothing but the girl in front of him, eagerly awaiting instructions.

He jumped at the sudden sounding crash next to them.

“Your stuff’s all here. Now get out of my sight,” Russel sighed, maybe realizing the irony of his own statement, maybe not.

Taking one last look at his new partner, 2D grabbed the backpack Russel shoved into his hands and slung it over his back. As he began securing all his weapons and tools, he felt a spike of curiosity and glanced at Fifteen’s equipment. He stopped with what he was doing at the sight of the glinting, curved sword in the girls’ hands. With ease she passed it from one hand to the other and began swinging it around, regardless of who she might accidentally hit.

Scary.

2D suppressed the need to start fidgeting all anxiously. Instead he fastened his knife and adjusted his backpacks straps.

One deep exhale later he asked if Fifteen was ready to which she eventually just saluted and sheathed her sword.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Not even ten minutes later they were on the surface.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 The quarter annual surface expeditions had become part of his routine. For the past five years his life had been nothing but the expeditions and what he referred to as the time in between. Despite the dead vastness above, he felt more alive out here than in the dark tunnels below. Out here he could finally take a breath without fear of choking on the layers of dust and stale air. The sun was a cherished friend too. He had watched people wasting away and fading into nothing but ghosts without seeing the light even once. They lived their lives, thinking that the dim flickering of the decade old lightbulbs was the closest thing to feeling the suns rays on their faces.

Next to him Fifteen let out a delighted laugh, the corners of her mouth almost reaching her ears.

With a loud ‘whoop’ she skipped ahead, almost dancing, with her arms reaching up to the sky.

He couldn’t help but smile awkwardly at the girls antics.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 That was how they set out on their trip. Fifteen humming a cheerful tune and skipping ahead, 2D following close behind with his shotgun in his hands. The sun was shining down on their heads, nothing but dead plains as far as their eyes could reach. It was warm. The last time 2D was out here the earth underneath his feet had been frozen over. Now though, he could enjoy the slight breeze in his hair and the way his boot would dig into the dirt with every step. Fifteens humming was a thing he could grow used to. He had to admit it was a lot more calming than Mudz constant complaining and yelling. Maybe… maybe this would work out. Maybe…

They walked without a break for hours. It was a calm day, except for a pack of mutated rats jumping them out of nowhere. After fighting them off and watching the rest retreat in a scuffle, he turned to look at his partner. She barely looked faced as she sheathed her sword and continued on her way after giving him a reassured smile.

They didn’t talk at all.

He didn’t know if this was a good or bad thing.

At night they sat around their fire, gulping down their first meal of the day, not including the dry, synthetic crackers they packed for the trip.

It was then that Fifteen decided to break the silence.

“So what’s the plan?”

He took a second to come up with a response.

“Umm… well we’ll probably get to the first outpost the day after tomorrow. Stock up on food and water. Um,” he looked down on his canned meat, fiddling around before continuing.

“We’re supposed to take route 34. Last trip they found some old structures. Didn’t have enough resources to keep exploring tho. They left some stuff for the next group. Which is us. I guess.”

He looked up at her. She seemed excited.

“Awesome! I’ve never been out there, exploring new places. Always joined the usual scavenging trips back at B3. It gets very repetitive,” she sighed.

Silence settled over them once again.

“Soooo…,” Fifteen drawled.

He silently raised an eyebrow at her.

“What’s your name?”

“We’re not supposed to say, it’s proto-“

“Don’t give me that ‘it’s protocol’ bullshit.”

She leaned forward, looking at him with a smirk through the floating embers of the fire.

“I just don’t want to keep calling you Two in my head. It is… kind of dehumanizing, don’t you think?”

She looked down, suddenly looking very embarrassed.

Maybe…

“Me and my old partner used nicknames.”

Maybe…

“It’s 2D. I know it’s not any better. But it’s something?”

She chuckled.

“It’s something.”

“So what do I call you?”

She stared at him with creases in her forehead before snorting silently in obvious amusement.

“I guess you can call me Noodle.”

He smiled.

Maybe this would work out.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 Eight days, one stop at the outpost and four fights later they found the rations left behind by the previous group in a provisory camp. Camp as in a chest full of stuff buried in the ground, marked with a tattered tent on top.

About 5 kilometres away they could make out the silhouette of an old town, small but more than enough to fulfil their trips main goal. The town could be turned into a new outpost, new tunnels, more space, more resources. A whole new sector even.

They began filling their backpacks, readying themselves for the short walk to their destination.

“Will we set up camp here or in the town?”

“Hopefully in the town. We’re too out in the open here. But if the place is rat infested there’s nothin’ we can do except camp out here until we find and get rid of their nest.”

Noodle sighed at the prospect of having to deal with even more of those pests. Her hands continued rummaging in one of the storage chests in the ground.

“I think we actually can take a break after today. This place has more than enough stuff for us both to last almost a month out here,” she said as she inspected a 2-litre water bottle.

“How did they get all this stuff out here?”

2D shrugged.

“I think they got approved for a cruiser and some fuel.”

“I thought the vehicles are only for emergencies?”

He mumbled something that sounded a lot like ‘Idunno’.

“Guess we’re running out of space.”

“Man, they must be getting desperate.”

2D silently agreed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

With all being said and done, they set out to the last part of their trip, walking slowly, trying to preserve their energy, just in case the town wouldn’t be as calm as they hoped.

The old asphalt of the road was cracked and covered in dust, a continuous grey line in the middle of nowhere, leading them to their destination.

The wind had picked up again.

“This is the worst,” Noodle complained, trying to brush her bangs out of her face – without success.

Wordlessly 2D started rummaging in his pockets, eventually pulling out two hair ties. Just as he was about to offer them to his companion, her suddenly very sombre voice made him look up.

 

“What is that?”

 

2D followed Noodles line of sight, curious at what was able to capture her interest like that.

Just a few steps in front of them, through the cracks of the dusty road.

Just underneath the crumbling arch of the entrance to the town.

Shining like a beacon in the midst of dull colours, dirt and broken asphalt.

A sign of life in this world so desperate to kill everything walking its surface.

 

2D’s eyes widened, watching the golden petals of the flower dance in the wind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So what’s the plan?”

The question had become very familiar over the last few days. But for the first time since that day at the campfire he didn’t have an answer to it.

 So he let Noodle take the lead.

 “It needs water.”

He watched her as she shuffled around, wasting an entire water bottle and building some sort of small sun shelter for the tiny plant.

“I think you drowned it.”

“I did not!”

“I don’t think plants need that much water?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen a plant before!”

Her erratic movements became more self-conscious and she slowed down in her tasks.

“We should probably move it,” she exclaimed, looking down at the dry ground.

“Can’t we just take it with us?”

“How? We can’t just carry it around! We can’t just take it.”

He looked at her and felt his heart beat rising while looking at her big, determined eyes.

“I mean… we can just dig it out, right?”

Noodles eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“I will need your help.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

They spent the next hours searching the town, like they had originally planned, always returning every half an hour or so to check up on the plant. They didn’t want to risk it walking away. Or something.

“What type of plant is it anyway?” Noodle asked as she sat on the ground, her legs crossed.

“I don’t know. The only thing I’ve ever seen is the dead grass in B1. It looked more like those awful noodles we get at the canteen than anything else tho.”

The girl leaned forward, inspecting the fragile green sprouting from the ground. With a delicate hand she lifted one of the leaves into her hand, swiping her thumb across it.

It felt weird. A bit like rubber, smooth but scratchy at the same time.

“I think we had some back in B2. I don’t remember. I was too young. That was before we switched to synthetic food production just like the rest of the sectors, before everything died,” she whispered as she gently poked the soft petals.

Her smile was almost brighter than their golden colour.

He let himself indulge for just this moment, taking in the light and vibrancy radiating from her, before catching himself in his own thoughts, taking his emotions and locking them away in the deep ends of his mind.

They had a task at hand.

“Let’s go back,” he said, tearing her away from wherever it was that she went.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It took them four hours to find a fitting pot.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Of course 2D kept insisiting they could just use one of their discarded food cans or something but Noodle was very much against that.

“We can’t just put it in some tin can, who knows how harmful the food leftovers are to it!”

“I mean. We eat that stuff, so...”

“That’s exactly my point!”

Most of the things they found were too broken, too dirty, too not good enough. Then, Noodle’s shrieking had made him panic and lift his gun, ready to shoot. Instead of being in need of rescue, like he initially thought, the girl just shoved a giant mug underneath his nose. Yellow pain was peeling off the ceramic, but it seemed like a better option than anything else in this shithole.

With a whoop Noodle hopped on top of a counter and shook the atrocious thing upside down, freeing it from the decades of accumulated dirt.

“I like this one,” she hummed.

2D relaxed and let out a breathy laugh, by now used to her antics. She still scared him. In a weird, maybe even good way.

 

 

* * *

 

 

This was when they encountered their next problem. Cluelessly they stood in front of the flower, 2D frowning and Noodle nervously twisting the mug in her hands.

“So how do we get it from there… into there?”

“I guess we just… dig it up?”

“Yea.”

“Just… pull it out?”

“No, just… carefully. Dig.”

“Huh.”

“Yea.”

“Cool.”

It wasn’t exactly hard work, but as 2D was carefully removing the pieces of broken asphalt from around the plant he began sweating from trying not to damage the leaves or roots. Noodle occasionally handed him his water bottle and pulled a tarp up once the relentless midday sun began shining down his head.

It took him some time but once he held the patch of dirt in his hands, roots falling downwards between his fingers, the flower itself standing proud, he couldn’t help but smile. Noodle letting out a scream of joy and hugging him from his side almost made his heart explode. Was this what happiness feels like? Maybe he was right for once.

Maybe this would work out.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Are we going to stay here like planned?”

“No. We need to get it to safety.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The walk back was a lot more strenuous than expected. For starters, one of them always had to have an eye on their plant. An eye and their hands. Noodle refused to pack the dirt filled mug with the flower into one of their backpacks, therefore making one of them unable to carry or use their weapon as they took turns carrying it safely in their arms. It made the mutant attacks a lot more unbearable and dangerous. They managed. But they did have a few close calls, which ended in Noodle desperately checking their flower for any damage while 2D sat on a nearby rock, checking his scratch wounds.

At one point, Noodle grabbed him by his hand, swinging it with hers while happily humming a melody, the mug tightly pressed to her chest.

He waited five minutes before pulling away, ignoring her questioning gaze.

The second time she took his hand she refused to let go.

He was fine with that.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Then there was the fact that they had to save their water. Technically that shouldn’t have been a problem, but they simultaneously agreed to leave their bottles full, just in case their flower would began to feel thirsty. The desert sun was unrelentless.

As the girl began fanning her neck, he wordlessly, once again, reached for the hair ties.

She thanked him and let out a relief sigh as she pulled her hair into two pigtails.

Her goggles caught rays of light, reflecting hues of blue and pink onto her face. She seemed almost ethereal. A guardian spirit of some kind. Must be.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He caught himself once again watching the girl over the flames of the campfire, contemplating what exactly it was about her, that made her light up like this. Even with the burning embers right there between them, she still shone brighter than any fire he could possibly make. Whether it was her smile, those ridiculous goggles, the silver sword on her back, even a combination of all of those things, he couldn’t possibly fathom everything that she was. But he wanted to know. He wanted to know her, why she spoke to him on that first night, why she got transferred here in the first place, why the sword and not a gun, why the lenses in her goggles had two different colours, why did she get assigned the number Fifteen, why did she decide that he was worth her time and beautiful smile?

They’d arrive back at their bunkers by tomorrow.

Would that be it?

The end of their journey?

It was shorter than expected. Securing the plant became a priority.

Was it worth it?

It was.

“It’s turning white,” he heard Noodle whisper.

Indeed, the petals poking out from where the plant had closed up for the night were white.

They looked different too.

Change.

Was it good or bad change?

He didn’t know.

But he was positive.

 

Because just maybe.

 

Maybe.

 

Everything would work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos points to everyone who can figure out what type of flower their plant son is.
> 
> OUTTAKES:
> 
> P: 2d is into poetry and saying weird shit that sounds good change my mind / throw words at me that sound romantic but weird but also kinda poetic go  
> M: Bithc  
> Thiccer than a bowl of oatmeal  
> Bootylicious  
> Got them apple bottom jeans  
> Boots with the fur  
> So fly  
> Makes me want to touch my peen-aye  
> Thats a poem  
> Your welc  
> P: I don’t think that’s quite it


	7. it's the term of the day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Hanami  
> Written by: chinarai

“Do you like it?”

2D turns to look at himself from another angle, tugging carefully at the strip of fabric Noodle tied around his waist. “What is this called again?”

“That’s an obi,” she supplies from the dresser, talking around the bobby pins caught between her teeth as she twists her hair away from her face.

He nods, wrenching his eyes away from her reflection to focus on his own. The fabric is of a simple, solid color but it feels nice in his fingers. It fits well around his shoulders and chest, and the hem tickles his shins, but that’s okay. They didn’t have any that fit his size. “I like it, but it’s odd not to be wearing any pants.”

Noodle smooths some baby hair back and stands from her chair. “You’re the one that wanted to do this the traditional way.”

“I’m not complaining.” His hands perch on his hips on what he hopes is some kind of intimidating pose. She snickers. “I’m just making an observation. Besides, I do want to celebrate my beautiful girlfriend’s culture.”

“Nowadays, they don’t all dress up in yukatas,” she says, offering him her hand, which he takes and laces their fingers together. “But it means a lot to me that you want to do it, especially because I never got to do this before.”

“First time for everything.” Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he asks, “Shall we?”

They’ve been to Osaka before, but it never ceases to amaze him. There’s something about visiting big cities that makes them as beautiful in his eyes as a deserted beach or a quaint countryside. 2D can spend hours just aimlessly walking, her hand in his, sightseeing and visiting new places, just him and her and a city to explore. No matter how many times they have been to New York, or Los Angeles or Tokyo or Paris, they will always find time to take a walk.

But Osaka is different. Japan itself is different to him, how traditional buildings lie preserved among the concrete jungle. The first time they had come to Osaka Castle, he’d been speechless at its grandiosity, then got a few good chuckles out of the transition of contemporary architecture and traditional, so brupt and quick it was like he’d stepped through a portal.

They visit Japan on tour. Sometimes, Noodle expresses desire to come and they all tag along. This time, she mentioned a seasonal event she never had the chance of attending, and they came on their own while Russel went back to Brooklyn to visit his parents, and Murdoc holed himself up in Ace’s shitty apartment somewhere in Chicago.

 _Hanami_ , or “flower viewing” as Noodle translated, is a custom of taking the time to do just that, sit back and watch the flowers. She showed him pictures and he remembered, back in Kong Studios, that Murdoc had pirated her one old Japanese cartoon about a girl with magical cards in one of his rare good moments, and that said girl was usually walking under a shower of pale pink petals. It seemed beautiful in animation, so he guesses it’s even better in person.

Noodle takes his hand and pulls him out of the cab, bag of snacks hanging from her shoulder. Store bought, easier and cleaner than making it on their own. She’s a decent cook, but doesn’t try Asian cuisine enough to risk it here, and he could burn water.

2D follows her up to the Castle walls, the chatter of others almost foreign in an usually quiet place. They round around the corner into the garden, and the amount of people is astounding, but 2D only has eyes for the trees. Their usual green canopy has been replaced by delicate pink and white blooms, petals drifting in the breeze in a movie-like scene. Blankets are spread about on the grass under the trees, people sitting with their legs tucked underneath them, little pots Noodle had called _bento_ filled with food for everyone.

“Come on,” she tugs on his hand, leads him through the throng of people. “We need to find a place to sit.”

A vacant patch of grass waits for them under a tree far from the Castle, and Noodle is quick to claim that space as theirs by spreading a blanket on the ground. 2D arranges the snacks, kit kats of so many flavors he’s never seen, boxed snacks he can’t read the label, and some that he’s acquainted with already. The thermos of green tea warms his hands up after he sets down some bottles of cold water.

Shoes left on the grass, Noodle tucks her legs under her, and he mimics her pose after some fumbling. Whether people are looking at them due to his hair or because they recognize then, he doesn’t know, but at least they keep their distance. Noodle pours some tea into disposable cups and he takes a sip, humming at the honeyed flavor of the usual bitter tea.

“Here,” she passes hima rice ball covered in transparent plastic. “Got your favorite.”

“Oh, I love the ones with eggs.” She giggles when he pecks her lips, and he tears at the wrapping to eat it with gusto.

Noodle is great at picking good snacks wherever they go, so he always trust her judgement. He eats another egg onigiri, licks his fingers clean, and tries some crunchy, sweet dried strawberries covered in chocolate, then some bite-sized pieces of chocolate that melt in his mouth and makes him moan. 2D eats cheesy crackers and jelly candies by the handful. There’s a lot they brought, but it’s impossible they will eat all of this at once. Feeling full already, he sets down a half eaten purple sweet potato flavored kit kat and lowers himself to a lying position, folded arms pillowing his head.

It’s peaceful here. If the chatter were quieter, 2D could probably take a nap, and if Noodle decided to play with his hair, he’d sleep through the afternoon till well into the night. A shadow falls over him, and he opens his eyes to look at Noodle, her face hovering inches above his own, a strawberry pocky caught between her teeth. 2D indulges her in a little game, nibbling on the sweet until their lips touch in a lingering, sweet kiss.

“Gonna nap?” She nestles into his side, cheek squished against his chest.

His arm wraps around her shoulders to pull her closer. “Mhmm, was thinking about it.”

“I’ll join you then.”

“One of us should stay awake in case someone tries to mug us.”

“Don’t worry,” Noodle sighs softly, laying her hand on his chest. “I can chase them down and catch them real quick.”

Huffing out a quiet chuckle, 2D cradles her hand in his and brings it up to kiss her knuckles. “And I don’t doubt that.”

She laces their fingers together, and they watch the pink petals drift down from the treetops.


End file.
